Heart of Gold
by le.etoile
Summary: They both knew it was wrong, but how can you stop love when it's already started? AU two-shot
1. Chapter 1

_This was just a random idea I thought of and mentioned to Kenkai-dono before and then later RPed with Pamianime, and I decided to write it out. XD It's horribly OOC and AU, and it probably checks off every cliche love story thing in the book, but whatever... It's angsty, dark-ish, and smexy. D: I only wish there was a T+ rating because I don't plan on writing anything all the way, but the very basis of this all is kinda sorta M anyways... But if you have a problem with my rating, please let me know and I'll be very willing to change it. :) Whatever, try to enjoy this bombardment of fail. There'll also be a second part to this because it was way too long to do in a oneshot, lol._

* * *

Ragged breathing of a woman echoed off the dark walls of the classroom, followed by the sigh of a much lower voice. Towards the front of the room, two bodies could be made out on the teacher's desk, seeming to be closely intertwined. Inoue Orihime, the one with her back against the hard wood, laced her arms around the neck of the man above her, embracing him as a tear slipped out of her eye.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered into her ear, returning the hug just the same. He had always said they same thing after they were done.

_Sorry._

She really wished he hadn't, because every time it made her feel like he regretted it. Being so intimate with her, holding her like the way he was, even just smiling at her in the hallways.

Her arms gripped him tighter as her legs clamped around his hips held him pulled him closer. As much as she wanted to tell him over and over again not to apologize, she knew he wouldn't listen to her. If it were any other topic they discussed, he would gladly be there for her and lend an ear. But for _this_, he knew this was bad and would apologize for it anyways.

His lips rose from the edge of her earlobe to her cheek, placing a kiss on the damp flesh, wet from a mixture of tears and sweat. "I'm so sorry..." He mumbled again, pressing himself against her harder. It was beginning to become a bad habit of his, saying sorry so often.

Orihime shuddered to herself as she scrunched her eyes tightly, keeping more tears from escaping. Her hands searched for his tan, lean face in the dark, looking only for one thing. He was already one step ahead of her though and kissed her deeply on the lips, groaning himself from the passionate embrace. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he made the girl beneath him moan at the new intrusion. He thoroughly took in her taste as he slipped a hand under the small of her back, pulling her tiny frame closer to his. Their tongues danced as they both let out hearty sighs.

But just like every time he wanted to start something, he'd pull away and leave her cold and rejected. He usually could stand to do things with her until a specific point in time; it was a moment she knew in the back of his mind moral seeped back into his thoughts and made him feel guilt for his actions. Now was such the situation as he let himself collapse into the chair behind him, leaving her to lie on his desk alone.

"Fuck... I'm sorry, Inoue," he repeated, and just like every single time he uttered those words, a sharp feeling to her heart was instigated. Sniffling, she raised her sleeve to her eyes to wipe away stray droplets.

"N-No..." She mumbled, doing her best to hold back a stutter. "The one who should be sorry is me... Sensei."

* * *

There would be no one to rescue her.

That was the only thought running through her head as the two girls in front of her pounded and kicked at her frail form. It was always the same, from middle school to high school, girls hated her. Whether it was because they disliked her graceful figure or the blinding auburn-colored hair, it didn't matter. She was a disturbingly quiet goody-goody that just disgusted them.

That was the reason she didn't have friends. She never did. There had been many past instances where she befriended someone, only to be betrayed by them a month later. She was used either as a tool, or a dare in some stupid game to see who could stand her the longest. Most got annoyed relatively quickly and dumped her.

A broken sigh escaped her as her attacker kicked her hard in the stomach, making her previously closed eyes snap open and cough up blood. She made grotesque choking noises as the second girl behind her kicked her from behind, at her back.

"Are you two done already?" A low, masculine voice asked off in the distance. Her ears were ringing too loudly to determine who they were, but it wasn't like she had enough energy to fend them off anyways.

"We could go on for hours," the main girl scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. "But she'll definitely break quicker if you two go at it."

_... Go at it?_ She questioned. Just what were they planning to do?

Bitter laughter filled the air when Orihime was suddenly hoisted up by a large hand by her collar, one of the boys, whose face was too fuzzy, smirking. "She'll definitely be a good fuck," he grinned as he spoke, sending a noticeable shiver down her spine. "Virgin or not, she'll be just fine."

It was as if a rush of adrenaline ran through her when she discovered what the girls had requested the boys do to her. She began kicking and flailing, swinging her limbs wilding to fend off the people around me.

"D-Don't touch me!" She cried, managing to land a slap to the boy's face in front of her. She suddenly stopped though, having never slapped someone before. Her hand suddenly felt so dirty and she immediately retracted it back. Such would end up being a poor decision, however, as the boys then took control of the situation once again. One of them held her wrists behind her, gripping them tight so she wouldn't escape. As much as she tried to wriggle around and break free, they were just too strong and she couldn't move an inch.

"Heh... Now let's first see if these are real..." The boy teased, already using his disgusting hands to rip off her tan sweater and untie her red bow. Orihime started to scream when the same boy from behind her shoved a few fingers into her mouth, silencing her. How he still managed to keep her restrained with only one hand was unfortunately incredible. But her thoughts of the boy behind her quickly dissipated upon feeling her white button-up tee being ripped apart just the same, allowing her covered breasts to spring free and out into the open.

"N-No!" She cried out with a muffle, trying to bite down on the teen's fingers but was crying too hard to be able to. "Y-Yamate!"

"Oh shit... They _are_," he gaped in wonder, immediately grabbing a hold of her mounds. "Oi, Takeshi, look at these things!" He grinned, referring to his friend doing the holding. He gripped her tight as he chuckled to himself, reveling in the current situation.

"Yeah, yeah, you bastard, just don't forget to let me get a feel before we finish," his friend scoffed, carelessly probing at the inside of her mouth with his finger. Orihime groaned in disgust as she wriggled around, trying to get out of his grasp even though she knew it was impossible. By now, she had tears gushing out her eyes and she tried to keep quiet so they wouldn't do worse damage for now. But her crying anyways had the boy that had been feeling her up latching his mouth onto her neck, sucking and biting on her fair skin.

Orihime tried to cry out and thrashed her wrists, feeling much pain from the bite on her neck. She knew she could take the bullying with violence, but she definitely couldn't _take this._

"Oi! What the hell do you two think you're doing?" A loud voice called out, startling all three of them. Their eyes snapped over to the source of the noise and a flood of relief instantly went through her. Inwardly, she thanked fate or whatever higher power assisted her, because before them stood a teacher with one hell of look.

Both teens dropped her like a hot potato and she fell to the ground as they ran off. She gave a small _'oof'_ upon impact with the hard ground, but that was the least of her worries right now. She was indecently exposed and now bore a hickey on the side of her neck. She was going to thank the teacher, but she instinctively raised her hand to the mark instead and tried to scratch at it, feeling nothing but disgust at the boys and herself.

"Hey, hey..." He kneeled down, calling out to her calmly. He took her hands in his, keeping them from doing anything else drastic as he tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay..." She glanced down at his hands, noting how warm they were, before looking nervously back up and into his brown eyes.

Kurosaki Ichigo – One of the four current teachers for English Literature. He had helped her out a few times before and they had chatted often enough to consider them acquaintances, but she never once had him for a teacher for that class.

Her eyes started to tear up all over again, but for different reasons this time. Before it had been fear, but now it was relief and gratitude. Orihime sniffled again as she felt his kind hands let go of hers to help pull her sweater and white top back on for her. Ichigo seemed very much unfazed by her exposed skin as he carefully buttoned up the two. He wasn't a registered nurse at the school, but he still grew up in a clinic. So with that particular knowledge, he would request to see her neck and other areas to make sure she wasn't badly hurt once they got back to her classroom.

"... Another one?" He asked quietly, holding her shoulders lightly to guide her back to the building. A small and definitely strained smile appeared on her face as she shuddered and hunched her shoulders together.

"No... T-They were different this time... It was just two girls that asked those boys to..." Orihime trailed off, finding it a bit too painful to actually finish. Admittedly, she knew the people who bullied her always threatened not to tell a teacher, but Kurosaki-sensei was different. Before she had talked to him about it the first time he found her, the time he walked by her on the grounds by the school shed with a cut to the head and a bruised lip, she made him promise not to say anything to anyone _ever_.

But he knew she tended to drift alone, which is why he always seemed so nice to her when he ran into her. She always hoped it wasn't out of pity or sympathy, but with all the beatings she got, she didn't entirely care. It was just nice to have someone there.

"... They'd never gone this far before," she quickly confessed, folding her arms under her chest. "T-They even tried to have me-"

"Inoue," he cut her off with a firm tone, just not wanting her to get even more upset at the idea of what they would've done to her had he not been there. "I'm here, okay? We'll get you cleaned up and put this behind you."

He always said that, and when she talked to him otherwise, she almost thought she could. But such painful beatings and her ignorance to actually talk about them made her continue to relive the memories, over and over again. Shuddering heavily with his hands still on her shoulders, Orihime sighed and gripped her folded arms even tighter. Part of her couldn't wait to get out of high school and away from this abuse, but then again, she might never see Kurosaki-sensei or her other few, nice teachers after that.

"... I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner, Inoue," he apologized after they stepped into his classroom some time later, after the short, but very quiet and unbearable walk back to the classroom. Orihime dropped her arms and let them hang at her side with a slightly confused expression on her face.

"But... you got there before they were able to do any actual damage... And I appreciate that, Kurosaki-sensei." Ichigo just rolled his eyes at her retort and he motioned for her to sit on his desk while he retrieved the first aid kit. She quietly did as she was told, hopping up on the wood desk. The spot on her neck was starting to throb now and she quickly slapped a hand up to hold it with a grimace.

"Something wrong?" He asked as he returned with the kit, soon mentally slapping himself for asking such a stupid question. Of _course_ there was something wrong; she had just been bullied _again._ "I mean, uh... Did you get any open wounds?" He asked, changing the subject to something else. She shook her head, as far as she knew she had none. If anything, her neck was throbbing and breasts slightly ached, but she didn't know if she could particularly tell him that last bit.

"Just this," Orihime replied quietly, removing her hand from her neck. He nodded and went to the first aid to get an ice pack.

"Do you mind taking off your bow?" He asked, pulling out the pack. She nodded again and reached to the clasp to unhook it. Once off, she left it in her hand, unintentionally gripping it hard. "Damn..." Ichigo cursed, then bringing his lean fingers to gingerly touch at it. "Inoue, make sure all the hickeys you get from now own, they're from someone you actually like," he tried to joke as he placed the pack on her neck, making her jump at the quick coldness.

A startling blush spread through her cheeks as she pouted at him, not entirely liking his teasing. "I-I don't think I have to worry about that, Kurosaki-sensei!" She told him quickly, bringing up her free hand to hold the pack in place so he didn't have to. The teacher just smirked and nodded, inwardly thinking of how unfortunate it was. Teens could be rowdy, but he knew they were supposed to have fun. But she was alone; never have gone shopping with any girl friends or go on a movie date with a boy. He almost wanted to tell her to go out and enjoy life, try spending the day doing whatever she wanted, but he knew it was easier said than done. She was always one to think of others before herself anyways.

"Hm..." Ichigo hummed, backing up just a bit to assess her form, which admittedly made her cheeks burn a bit hotter. It wasn't that she despised his travelling eyes, but she never had a person like him look at her like that. Orihime wasn't stupid; she knew he was good looking. She just tried to focus more on his kind personality rather than his features. "Didn't one of the boys touch your..." He stopped and cleared his throat. "Chest?" Judging by his state of color on his cheeks, he wasn't entirely used to talking about that particular part of anatomy just as she wasn't used to others dealing with hers.

Her cheeks grew even hotter, if possible, as she glanced down to the floor in embarrassment. So he _had _noticed the boys touching her earlier... But now she wasn't sure what she was to tell him how she was sure there were possibly bruises from before. She nodded subtly and gripped the ice pack tighter, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"T-They did, but... I'll be fine," Orihime spoke quietly, hoping he would understand. "My neck is what's bothering me the most anyways..." Which was true, but it wasn't just the dull, throbbing pain. She didn't want to start to be called easy because she came to school with a hickey on her neck. Ichigo nodded and took a step closer to her again, hand reaching out to peel away the pack for a moment.

She only looked at him curiously, her big gray eyes glued to him and his actions as he, for a second time, tenderly touched the spot on her neck. She could feel her body, not just her face, growing hot at his close proximity. Teacher or not, she didn't really think it was too big a deal that he was so close. He was just trying to be helpful.

That is, until he pressed his lips to the mark. Orihime's breath hitched due to it being so unexpected and her hands fell to her skirt to grip the fabric tightly. "S-Sensei?" She asked, unable to hold back a stutter. She was growing so confused, particularly over how he was doing such a thing. Being the kind of person she was, she didn't seem to mind too much of what he was doing and in all actuality, she was almost relishing in this new tenderness, warmth she'd never experienced before. But there was one major problem with all this.

He was a teacher and she was a student.

Ichigo continued to press light, butterfly kisses onto her slender neck, his hands soon wandering to her waist. Once there, he then nudged his way between her legs and used the same hands to pull her closer. "K-Kurosaki-sensei..." She groaned again, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would jump right out of her chest.

He pulled away, now sporting a mixed expression. He looked embarrassed, coy, and awkward all at the same time and she didn't know what quite to make of it. "Do you... feel better, Inoue?" He asked in a low tone that made her shudder. His eyes were dark and lids were lowered as he stared at her, practically looking into her soul. His hard eyes made her want to hide her face in her hands, but she forced a nod instead. Her mind told her logically this was wrong, but her heart was telling her to take advantage of this new closeness with someone.

Ichigo forced a small smile and let his brows relax before responding. "... I'm glad," he told her softly before connecting his lips with hers. A soft squeak escaped her upon the action and she jumped in place, only causing them to move their lips against each other further. His grip on her waist grew tighter and he pulled her closer so their chests were flush up against one another. At this point, Orihime gripped his shirt and whimpered, not knowing what to do as well as still worrying about one problem.

This was so wrong; both of them could get caught and they'd both get in so much trouble. She could get expelled and he could get fired.

But as he began to ease her onto her back, lying her down on the relatively cleared desk, she knew she wouldn't be able to entirely stop. While her mind yelled and yelled at her how morally and lawfully wrong this was, her mind deliberately ignored her and reveled in this touch, feeling her loneliness starting to dissipate. She didn't want this to be pity, she vaguely thought as she moved her mouth against his, feeling him probe his tongue into her cavern as his hand drifted toward her thigh to stroke at the soft skin. She didn't care either if they pretended this never happened later on. She'd just be incredibly selfish for a few moments and take everything he gave to her, in addition to the smaller known fact that she could quite possibly befriend him without an ounce of betrayal.

That was the first time.

* * *

Orihime couldn't help but sport a dark red hue on her cheeks as she stood outside _his_ classroom door; the one she had been at time and time again, just looking for someone to talk to. Her small hands fisted her gray pleated skirt nervously as she looked down, her heart beating rapidly as she swallowed thickly, feeling somewhat nervous for what was to come. She had been called down to his classroom during his free time before, but every time managed to leave her more scared and embarrassed than the last.

But oddly enough, she had grown to enjoy meeting him more and more as well. There was a constant, dull blush on her cheeks whenever the thought of him and their activities seemed to show up in her mind, which she grew accustomed to. Besides the blush, however, she grew attached to him as well. It was an old, clichéd phrase, but the way he acted towards her was as if they were more than friends, but less than lovers. The idea brought an odd smile to her face, but it instantly melted upon the actuality of them just being friends with benefits. Only, there weren't entirely benefits; it was more like friends with benefits and high stakes.

Sighing to herself, she gripped the door handle to spring open the entrance, finding no surprise in his location. Every time she had ventured to his room, he would always be leaning against his desk, arms folded with his eyes locked on the door. And just the same every time, his eyes would hover over her slim form as she entered, making her blush and have her entire body grow hot.

"Kurosaki-sensei?" Orihime asked timidly, closing the door behind her. She was just about to turn the lock, just like she did every other time, when he stood up tall, shifting his hands into his pockets instead.

"Inoue... You're finally here," he spoke quietly, but firm, not answering her question. "What took you so long?" He asked a question of his own before finishing with, "You know I could get you in trouble for that." The latter part was told with a smirk, although it wasn't really something to joke about.

"I'm sorry, Sensei..." Orihime muttered, taking nervous steps towards his tall, lean form. "Ochi-sensei had me stay after class for a few minutes."

"... I see... What exactly did she need you for?" He responded, going back to leaning against his desk. Something seemed off about him today, she noted. While he still kept up conversation with her like he normally did, he didn't seem as enthralled to see her like she was with him. In fact, this time she met with him, she felt a lot more excitement than she normally did.

Ichigo only asked about the teacher because he could feel an irregular bubble of jealousy brewing inside. While it might've been good she was talking to other people, teachers included, he still enjoyed being the one she talked to. But these feelings were bothering him, not just now, but recently too; ones that were inappropriate for someone of his status. He _knew_ he'd been spouting out more apologies than normal too and even one time he had gone so far as to make her cry, but this wasn't right... Which is why he called her down to talk about it today.

"She just needed me to run some papers down to another classroom," she told him in all honesty. "It was nothing big..." Orihime attempted to look at him again despite her current embarrassment over, well, nothing, but he still kept his eyes unfocused and stuck to the floor. Although she didn't want to completely assume her reason for being here, she still had a pretty good idea of what it was. Something inside nagged at her though, telling her to ask anyways. "D-Did you call me down to... Um..."

"No, Inoue," Ichigo cut her off, suddenly darting his eyes to meet with her. Even he wanted to blush a bit at the stupid notion of this all. Had they really been together so often that every time she came down, she assumed he was just going to do her again? Groaning to himself, he shook his head and motioned the desk in a few feet away from him, the desk closest to the front. "I needed to talk to you about something important... And you might need to sit down for this."

A rush of worry flooded the teen's system as she swallowed thickly, not particularly liking the scary feeling creeping into her stomach. But she did as she was told and sat down, folding her hands into her lap as to keep them from shaking too much. Her big gray eyes never left his dark amber ones, shining with nothing but trust and something else, he noticed. Something that sent his own heart awkwardly fluttering but insanely worried.

"Inoue..." He started, keeping his voice low and gentle as to not startle her too much. He could see the initial jump out of fear when he told her they needed to talk and he was under the notion she had a good idea of what he wanted to discuss. He'd be calm about this for her, but he still couldn't guarantee how she would react. "We need to stop."

"S-Stop?"

"_Us_. We need to stop _this_, Inoue."

For trying to sound so calm, he still managed to make her immediately upset. It was plenty easy to tell by her suddenly widened eyes and frozen figure perched upon the desk.

"K-Kurosaki-sensei, y-you can't mean..." Orihime tried not to stutter and she did her best to hold back stinging tears, but his words were just so icy cold for some reason.

"That's exactly what I do mean," he mumbled back, his eyes drifting to look out the window. "This is wrong and we both know it." He could already hear some sniffling from her and it tore his heart apart. The only reason he looked away was so he wouldn't have to see the tears accompanying it.

This decision had to be made. They'd gone on far too long and he'd be damned if he didn't stop it now before she got hurt. While he could live with getting fired and moving away, he wouldn't be able to let himself go on knowing her reputation was shot and she'd been labeled very bad things because she was sleeping with a teacher.

"Besides... Ishida's already suspicious, on top of maybe having feelings for you too..." He scoffed upon thinking of the Home Ec. Teacher. Not only was he suspicious of what was going on between them, but the stupid guy was trying to pry information out of Ichigo during lunch breaks. "What does Inoue-san think of this class?" or "What does Inoue-san want to do when she gets older?" Truthfully, the idea made him sick to his stomach. But then again, this whole conversation was doing just the same.

Orihime suddenly threw herself off the desk, her brows slanted down with her eyes brimming with tears. "P-Please don't say that!" She cried, fisting her skirt in her hands. "I-If it's me, I can fix it! I-I just... Don't throw me away... Please..." The last part was significantly lower than the rest, but it was her true feelings. She knew she was beginning to sound desperate, but this man had been her only friend, the only person to stand beside her. And just when she thought he wouldn't leave her like the rest, he cut it off and threw her off to the side.

"This discussion is over!" Ichigo suddenly roared, taking a quick step towards her form as he forced a painful glare at her. "Now get out of my classroom before I take you out myself!" Admittedly, it hurt him too to see her pained face twisted with tears and sadness, but he knew this couldn't go on, nor did he want to deal with what could potentially be more than just platonic feelings of friendship. She was a student and he was a teacher.

Orihime had flinched at his words and felt a tear slip down her cheek. She could only take shaky steps backwards towards the door as she subtly shook her head, refusing to believe she'd have to be alone all over again. Her back hit the door and she squeaked again, due to it being unsuspecting. But she forced her big gray eyes to keep focused on him, trying desperately to search his eyes for something other than the resentment he was currently showing her.

"I-I know this is wrong," she sobbed, tears now falling freely. "I know what happened shouldn't happen between a student and a teacher, but at least I didn't feel alone!" Ichigo could've sworn he heard something snap within him, but he continued to sport a frozen face, showing no emotion whatsoever. "You... Kurosaki-sensei, you were the _only_ person I could trust... The only person I didn't feel liking having to hide around... But why...?"

The teacher's eyes widened just slightly as he shifted his weight to his left leg. "... Why what?"

She lifted her sleeve to her eyes and wiped away the tears, sniffling before answering in a quiet voice. "... W-Why did you make me fall in love with you?"

Upon hearing her words, he froze indefinitely; but it made sense, adding a title to that indescribable feeling in her eyes whenever she looked at him. Warmth, trust, compassion... It added up to love.

"The love that you claim for me is nothing but your imagination," Ichigo suddenly scoffed, stepping forward towards the door and her small form. "You're just lonely, Inoue." Grabbing a hold of her upper arm, he kept a semi-tight grip on her limb, his eyes hard. "Leave... Now." Orihime's eyes still remained big and wide for a moment, tears still lining her lashes, until she suddenly dropped her gaze to the floor. The pain she was showing just suddenly seemed to disappear and was now left with... nothing.

"... I'm sorry," she whispered, pulling her arm out of his grasp so she could leave just as quickly as she came. Even as he slammed the door behind her and she was starting to feel so empty inside, she collapsed against the wood of the entrance and felt hot tears continue to roll down her cheeks. Despite feeling alone and now rejected, she couldn't find it in her to tear herself from the door. So she ignored the odd looks from classmates and teachers walking past, just pouring her heart out instead of forcing that painful, fake smile. But on the other side of the door, Ichigo had his hands on the door, forehead touching the cool wood as he silently cursed to himself.

_Stop crying... Stop crying! Dammit, just leave Inoue! I might want to take you back otherwise..._

_._

_._

_.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_LATE UPDATE IS LATE! School is really to blame here, in all honesty. I've been so focused on my classes and homework, it's seriously taken a huge toll on my free time and my writing. This last part was really hard to write because my muse had disappeared and I found it hard to find a reason to finish it. (That is, aside from the reason just to finish it.) But here it is, and it's one less thing I have to do! I can't guarantee when the next update for Long Way Down will be (I.E., Cripplesaki fic), but it'll be the next thing updated because, well, it's the only story sitting in my queue. _

_Anywho, enjoy!_

* * *

He knew he had failed. Not just one thing, but many things. He failed as a teacher, as a mentor, and even as a man. He would grow disgusted with the way he treated Inoue Orihime, but he couldn't help but feel overwhelming warmth in his body at the mere thought of her.

He was in love with her.

Inescapable and immense, he could never seem to abandon those feelings he held for that auburn-haired student. To him, it was truly odd because he'd never felt that way around someone before and he never imagined he'd start feeling such a thing for a student of all people.

The first day he saw her, it hadn't been that much of a big deal. He noticed she was one of very few students with a hair color like hers. She looked lost, dazed, and confused, but most incoming students looked that way so he was able to casually brush it off.

But unexplainably, his mind kept wandering back to her, wondering what class she was in at the moment or what she was doing. Whether he was at school or at home, he thought about her constantly. It was only a matter of time after that first day for her that he grew this incredibly odd attraction towards her.

Of course, considering his status, he could only be thoroughly disgusted at his behavior and way of thinking. He'd let himself talk to her briefly in the halls, getting to know her only slightly. Ichigo even went as far as to request for her not to be in his class. If he was so insanely infatuated with her even when she wasn't around, he'd have no clue what would happen if she was.

The first time he found her, just by chance, was when he happened to go to the school shed to get something for another teacher. She was on the ground, red marks on her arms and legs, but most notably she had a rather large cut to her head and bruised lips. He could've went right by as if he hadn't even seen her, but that damned attraction had him kneeling down and assisting her in a heartbeat.

He couldn't stop talking to her ever since.

Ichigo tried to keep his cool when he could, but his false exterior, that of an unfazed, but disciplining teacher, was melting away into an awkward, gooey mess around Inoue Orihime.

But she was a student, and Ichigo spent many days after school, digging his fingernails into the armrests of his chair as he sat with his feelings.

_Don't._

The sun would set and students would leave, and he would still let himself sulk and suffer with that amorous feeling.

_Don't fall in love with her any more._

The janitors would come and go and he'd sit in his dark classroom, nothing on his mind except her brilliant auburn hair and big eyes.

_I've... I've fallen _too_ in love with her._

That fateful day he found her yet again and he crossed that unforgivable line by kissing her, which inevitably led to something regretful. His thoughts, feelings, and actions led him down dark paths on which he could never return and he dragged her down with him.

* * *

Orihime didn't come to school for a few days, he found out from other teachers. It was no surprise, since he _did_ rip her heart out. He wanted to do what was best for her, and that was breaking all relations off. He'd be damned if he let her life and reputation go down the drain because of his stupid actions.

Again, he tried to think about something else, _anything_ else, but his mind kept flashing back to her. _This is ridiculous, _he told himself. _I can't keep living like this_. His feelings were a mess because of her absence and his harsh, cruel words. Not to mention her small, broken words, asking him why he made her fall in love with him. The feeling was reciprocated, but he never knew love could be this painful.

Ichigo had started with his lesson, despite his mind elsewhere. The class was full of his usual students, and all of them looked bored and zoned out. Vaguely, he wondered if Orihime would've paid vivid attention to the topic at hand. She _was_ an avid learner and she just might enjoy the topic.

"In English literature, there are many ways to analyze text, and characterizing with archetypes is one-"

It was like a dream, really, to see the classroom doors slide open and reveal the student herself. She clutched her books close to her chest as she pulled at her bottom lip and took a few steps inside. All eyes were focused on her as Ichigo fell silent during the middle of his lecture. Why was she here? Inwardly, he was glad she was back at school, but she didn't have this class with him. He made a point to make sure of that.

"Um... My counselor changed me to this class because my other English Literature class got too full," she spoke quietly, handing the note to him. He took it tentatively out of her hands, their fingers accidentally brushing in the process. Both could feel that familiar shock with that small touch, and while Ichigo remained dumbfounded about it, the girl put on a heavy smile. "Where should I sit, Kurosaki-sensei?"

Feeling a flood of defeat at the way she said _sensei_ around him had him merely glancing back at the lone desk in the back of the room. "There," he muttered before turning around and resuming writing on the chalk board. Soft mumbles and murmurs could be heard as she went to her new desk, and there were some particularly bad things being said that Ichigo would've preferred not to hear. He could only scowl in disgust at his students and how they whispered things that defiled her image.

Grumbling to himself, he knew this was going to be a long day; a long year, even. But this was her last year here, so once she graduated, they'd never see each other again.

But for some reason, his heart ached at the thought. Shaking it off, he couldn't believe he was thinking about such things in the middle of a lecture.

"... As I was saying."

* * *

"You should be going home, Inoue."

Orihime glanced up from her desk to find her English teacher standing a few feet from her desk, a nonchalant expression on his face. Raising her brows in surprise, she smiled slightly for him. He had been talking to her again lately, after a little over three months of saying the bare minimum to her. It was all school related and nothing else was discussed, but in a way, she was glad they were talking again after such a long time. However, Orihime still couldn't let go of her feelings for him.

"Just a few more minutes, Kurosaki-sensei, then I'll be done with my work," she replied in that innocent voice of hers. Ichigo had to roll her eyes at her, because her words were making no sense.

"You have all of winter break to work on it, you don't need to be staying here to finish it," he replied, moving to lean against a nearby desk. "I don't see your reason for staying here longer."

Humming softly to herself, she brought her eyes back to her papers. He was right; she didn't have to finish this all before she left. She had all of winter break to work on it, which was a little over a week and a half. But he was wrong in the sense that she didn't have a reason. Secretly, _he_ was her reason.

"I do have a reason, sensei," she commented quietly, just above a small whisper.

"Oh? And what is that?"

She said nothing more and looked at him, flashing a bright smile towards his direction. He hadn't seen such a wide smile from her in such a long time, it admittedly startled him. "What are you doing for the holidays?" Orihime inquired, starting to gather up her papers. After resuming his composure, he looked at her quizzically.

"I'm going to spend Christmas with my dad and sisters," he spoke coolly. She was one of the few people he felt sort of okay with telling his personal plans. Orihime plucked up her papers and placed them in her bag. "What about you?" He finished.

"Oh, I'm going to spend it with Enraku and a big feast!" She chirped, standing up from her seat. "There's going to be banana rice curry and special mochi and pickle ice cream!" Ichigo's stomach just about plummeted at the sound of all those interesting meals, but one thing had him curious. His concern got the best of him and he pestered on.

"Enraku? Did you find yourself a boyfriend, Inoue?" While he was completely serious with his question, he wasn't feeling so good asking about it. Despite his status as her teacher and age difference of about 8 years, he _really_ didn't want her to have another guy in her life.

_So much for trying to get over her..._

Blushing, Orihime shook her head. She thought it was odd he asked her such a question, especially after what both of them had gone through. "N-No, Enraku's my teddy bear. He'll be my company again this year." A dead silence fell between them for a few minutes until Orihime forcefully stuck her hand out to the man in front of her. "H-Have a good season, Kurosaki-sensei!"

Ichigo stared at her small hand, dumbfounded. For a split second, he replayed so many memories with her. How she used to smile at him with the most vivid grin he'd ever seen, how she would've kissed him with such passion, such love that it even surprised him, and how he crushed her feelings months ago.

_This is fucking ridiculous_, he thought to himself, swallowing thickly while he stared at that hand. She was offering just a handshake, yet he thought there was much more behind it than what met the eye.

Still, he found himself reaching his own, larger hand to hold hers, his eyes drifting from their palms and digits to look her straight in the eyes. It was nothing more than a handshake between the two, but he could still see that love and compassion in her eyes that he had seen months before. It was so intriguing and inviting, it made him want to chuck what little composure he had out the window and snatch her into a hug. But he couldn't.

Orihime let go, her eyes still wide with a smile that could knock any man out. "Ja ne," she spoke softly, turning on her heels to leave and within moments, she was out the door. Ichigo was left to himself, and his hand was still extended out to the place where hers used to be. He noticed that her warmth was still lingering on his skin, and he looked at it in deep thought. She was a definite first. Not only had he felt such feelings around her for the first time, but it was reciprocated and he was loved in return by a beautiful girl. He knew the problem here was the age gap and how she was a student of his, but there was something nagging at him on the inside to not let her go a second time.

Ichigo's hand fell to his side and he turned around with intentions to get his things and go. He had a lot to think about and he only had a little over a week to figure out what he wanted to do.

* * *

Returning, Orihime had mixed feelings about coming back. It wasn't that she didn't want to come back to school, but rather her heart swelled with feelings over her teacher, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle seeing him again. Over the course of their winter break, she felt happiness, love, but also some despair as she replayed those harsh words of his from a few months ago. The particular phrase of, "You're just lonely, Inoue," kept ringing in her head and it just about brought her to tears at times.

However, Orihime would slap her cheeks lightly and tell herself to remember the better times, despite them leading up to that cruel cut-off. It wasn't right for her to be depressed over all this. She really just had a silly schoolgirl crush that managed to lead to something more for a short time. In the end, he made it clear he wanted it to end, and she needed to end it too.

Stepping into his class, which was her last class for the day, Orihime purposely kept her eyes glued to the floor. Whether it was out of embarrassment or a little bit of sadness, she couldn't say because she wasn't quite sure herself. She just silently let her feet guide her towards her desk in the back and silently took a seat. The rest of the class was animated and chatty, but she kept as the lone, silent one among the group.

"Oi, quiet down!" Ichigo's familiar voice boomed out, quieting the class. "I have an important announcement to make before we start the lesson." The level of severity in his tone had Orihime raising her head to look at her teacher, her brows arching in wonder of what was going on.

The class quieted and he stood at his desk, his hands firmly placed on the cool wood. "You've all been a good class, despite your noisiness," he started, instigating a few chuckles from students. Orihime didn't find the joke to be funny, nor did she find it to be a joke in the first place. She was too busy trying to quiet down her heartbeat, as it was too loud in her ears to hear her teacher properly.

"I'm quitting."

Those lone two words sent daggers to her heart, and her eyes grew wide and prickled with tears. Still, she focused on Ichigo at the front, waiting for a possible explanation. The class grew rowdy again and threw their hands up in anger, sadness, a whole plethora of feelings and reactions to his news. While the other kids spouted words of concern, Ichigo took a split second to look at Orihime in the back of the room. She jumped in her seat because she was startled, but she saw nothing but seriousness in those beautiful brown eyes of his she's always loved.

"I talked to the headmaster over the course of winter break about it and its importance," he resumed, despite the class still loud with concern, but quieted again as he started talking. "So my resignation is already in and today's my last day." Sighs rang out through the classroom at his heartbreaking news, and one student in the front called him out on his sudden decision.

"Why are you quitting, Kurosaki-sensei?" The girl in the front row asked. Again, Ichigo's eyes drifted towards Orihime, making her heart race even faster, if it was even possible. She could see some warm feeling of his in those eyes, much different than the cold ones from that previous, dreadful day. It gave her an odd feeling of hope, but she couldn't particularly place why.

"Personal reasons," he started, his eyes never leaving hers. He kept silent for a moment before glancing out the window instead. "I'm quitting for personal reasons."

The class burst out in question again and Ichigo ignored them. He just began with his lesson, like every other day; like today wasn't a day where he wasn't leaving for good. Orihime found it hard to concentrate on her studies. They were even studying and analyzing old English literature, which she grew to love the longer she was in his class, yet her mind kept jumping back to his terrible news and all-too serious stare at her before.

Glancing out the window and at the falling snow, her expression softened slightly. _This seems like Romeo and Juliet, except we're not dead_, she inwardly commented, however, paused for another moment before finishing in her head. _And he never loved me back._ After giving it another thought, they weren't anything like the beloved couple Shakespeare wrote about. Orihime was just a part of another unfortunate tragedy, soon to be forgotten in due time.

The rest of the class period seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, it was already the end of the day. Normally she was okay with him being the last person she saw at the end of the day, but today it was just a curse. She'd never get to see him again after this.

That being said, she took her sweet time packing her book bag. Students all shuffled out after saying their last goodbyes to the teacher and Orihime was still sitting in the back of the room, finishing packing up. Although the more she packed, she didn't know if it was because she was ready to cry or because she was trying to savor the time she had left in his presence. It was probably a mixture of both, she mused.

"Inoue."

Snapping her head up, because she knew that tone all too well, Orihime met gentle, brown eyes and a small, upset smile. For some reason, that only made her pack her items quicker and walk towards the front of the room, where she never broke eye contact with him. Orihime stood a few feet away from him, having an internal struggle on whether to continue looking at him or stare at her feet in embarrassment. She chose the latter, and clutched onto her book bag tightly as she had a staring contest with her school slippers.

"Thank you for being a good teacher, Kurosaki-sensei," she mumbled out, finding it hard to keep a rising blush at bay. "I am very glad to have been your student, even for a short while." The two kept in silence for a while. She wanted to continue talking to him, just to extend their remaining time, but she couldn't find any words. He wasn't saying anything either. Taking in a shuddering breath, Orihime realized her cheeks had grown wet and her lashes clung together.

She was crying.

She was startled and threw her hands up to her eyes, taking in another gasp. "I-I'm sorry, sensei! I don't even know why I'm crying!" Sniffling, Orihime wiped away her tears. She suddenly felt very foolish. How could she cry at this moment?

"You're crying because you're sad, dummy..." Ichigo scoffed lightly at her, using his left hand to pull her hands away from her face and his right arm to rub away her tears with his sleeve. In a way, he found her open, sincere tears to be endearing in away, but it still hurt him to see her upset nonetheless. "You shouldn't be sad, Inoue."

Sniffing quite loudly, she peeked over his sleeve with big, nervous eyes. "But you're leaving! A-And..." Orihime grew hushed and her cheeks burned a noticeable red. Ichigo could see her embarrassment, and he wished she wouldn't be so worried. "I'm going to miss you..." Her voice grew quiet, just barely above a whisper. She continued to look at the man in front of her, biting on her bottom lip as she waited for a reaction. She was inwardly proud with herself and how she managed to get out part of what she wanted to say.

Ichigo moved his hand and placed it on the top of her head, patting it lightly. She looked up to him, unintentionally giving him the biggest puppy eyes he'd ever seen. The words seem to get caught in his throat the longer she looked at him like _that_. "It'll be okay," he started slowly, trying to reassure her. "I'll be back soon." He paused, for dramatic affect or because he was growing nervous as well, he didn't know. "I'll be back for _you_."

If he thought her eyes were wide before, they just got wider now.

Ichigo's lips curled into a small smile, and he pulled Orihime forward so she crashed into his chest and into an awkward hug. "I'm quitting for you, Inoue," he told her, his voice surprisingly calm. Orihime squeaked in surprise and was immediately sent into a fit of worries, mumbling about how he couldn't do such a thing for her, but he hushed her so he could continue. "Look... I'm sorry for what happened a few months ago... Not of what _we_ did, but what _I_ did. I hurt you and I was never really able to live with myself after that." He loosened his arms around her so she could pull away and look at him. "So I'm making up for it now."

Orihime's face was twisted into something sympathetic and pained, and as much as it pained Ichigo as well to see her so distressed, he knew this would be best for her. It would be best for both of them in due time, and to top it off, they'd be happy this time. That is, if he still accepted her.

She pushed away from his chest to gain some space, her thoughts in a jumbled mess. What was she to say? Her teacher, her love had just apologized to her about his cruel, heart-breaking words from months ago, _and_ was quitting as a way to make it up to her. She felt that it was all too much and she wasn't worth all the trouble, but her heart was inwardly soaring at how he said he'd be back for her.

"What are you going to do?" Was all Orihime managed to mumble out, her voice low so she wouldn't become a blubbering mess again. She had so many questions, but she wasn't able to actually form the words.

"I was thinking of trying my hand at some freehand writing or something," he replied. Ichigo reluctantly let her go and turned around to finish packing his bag, hoisting it over his shoulder once he was ready to go. "I'll be back after graduation," he mumbled out. In his head, his reasoning for picking a date after her graduation made sense. He had hoped she would focus on her studies properly until then, rather than have him on her mind all the time.

"I... I guess I'll see you then?" Orihime spoke quietly, still trying to wrap her head around all of this.

"Yeah... I guess so." He inwardly scolded himself, asking just why the hell he sounded so indecisive. Ichigo turned on his heels and made his way to the door. He had his hand on the doorknob, very intent on leaving, but something kept him back. Perhaps it was the presence of the woman he loved right behind him. Maybe it was the fact he _knew_ she'd be upset over having to wait so long, even though she knew she'd see him again.

"Oh, screw this..." Ichigo murmured to himself, dropping his bag. He had planned to just leave and wait until later, but the thought of being away from her for so long affected him too. He turned around again and went up to Orihime, gripping her arms tightly as he pulled her to his chest. His lips crashed onto hers, moving frantically as if he wouldn't kiss her ever again, even though he knew he would in due time. She squeaked in surprise, but grabbed the front of his shirt to keep herself steady.

"K-Kurosaki-sensei!" She chirped out in alarm. Ichigo's hand dug itself deep into her auburn tresses and he pulled away from her slightly, eyes closed.

"It's Ichigo, Inoue... My name's Ichigo," he spoke in a low voice before resuming kissing her again. Officially, it was the end of the school day and he was no longer her teacher, but it was still risky to be seen kissing his former student while she was still in school. He hated to admit it, but he'd need to make this quick.

Shuddering, Orihime nodded stiffly as Ichigo pressed one last, light peck on her lips. "I-Ichigo." She said his name slow, as if she was testing it out. She could feel those tears prickling her eyes again, and she took in a sharp breath as to not cry. "Ichigo..." Feeling heartbroken over her sadness, Ichigo pulled her into a tight hug, one hand on the small of her back with the other cradling her head into his chest.

"I promise..." Ichigo mumbled into her brilliant auburn hair. "I promise I'll be back for you." Orihime sniffled into his shirt and nodded, biting her lip as to not make any sounds. "And when I do, I'll say those words you want to hear..." She nodded against his chest and grasped tightly the fabric that covered his back. She wanted to do so many things still; continuously thank him for everything he'd done, keep on kissing him, even whisper those words she reserved only for him.

_There's a time and place for everything_, she told herself. _It'll happen when it happens._

Orihime had to reluctantly go of him and watch him leave. But as he left, even after he disappeared into the hallway, she still stared at the open door, hugging her midsection for comfort.

It wasn't goodbye. It was just a "see you later".

.

.

.


End file.
